Ark Undead

They thrived and multiplied in a world of paintings where there was never daylight.

Because the pigments used are the blood of dark souls, this painting will hardly decay over time.

The people here are unaware of the passage of time. Nothing can measure time except the passing of life.

And as the creators of painting, they were also ancient beings with dragon blood.

The young lady lives in a church atop the mountain.

She created a new world, but left behind the old church and similar buildings, not to remember anyone, but to wait for those who have not yet returned.

If that slave knight with the red turban were to wander into this place in confusion, he would surely recognize this church.

But time will eventually flow, just as generations change, never ceasing.

After a long period of time, someone discovered the scroll at the place where it was stored.

They were people who had experienced despair, but they eventually built a village near the mountains.

After witnessing this world beyond their imagination, the people suffering from natural disasters subconsciously believed that it was a land created by God.

They pleaded with the gods to protect them and rid them of the natural disasters. Even enduring eternal winter was far better than surviving the onslaught of natural calamities.

The kind-hearted young lady couldn't bear to see so many lives lost.

After leaving the world depicted in the painting, the Raven Knights discovered that it was no longer the same world.

After confirming that the outside world was temporarily safe, the young lady made a decision.

As the creator of the painting, she completely integrated the painting itself with the mountain peaks.

A part of the painting has been imbued with reality, bringing coldness to present-day Shelag, which is now known as the Snowland.

As a painting possessing the power of a dark soul, it naturally resists the invasion of natural disasters.

The young lady was unwilling to leave the world of paintings, so she asked the Raven Knight to tell the Sherag people who lived nearby and relied on the paintings.

"If monsters invade, people can come and receive the power of the scroll."

Therefore, the Arakkoa Knights selected a group of powerful individuals from Kjerag to serve as messengers communicating with the contents of the scroll.

The organization of these messengers was called the Manju Institute.

Those who receive the power of the painting must possess the same qualities as the young lady.

This means that only women, and specifically young girls, can use a portion of the scroll's power.

On the land of Shelag, the Manju Academy was born, along with a saint who could communicate with the "gods".

As a remnant of the Age of Fire, the girl uses the bell as a token to access the power of the scroll.

This is why the saintess can summon the power of wind and snow by ringing the bell and chanting prayers.

Those who do not know the prayer and shake the bell will be devoured by the power of the dark soul.

This is the miracle performed by the one who created the "Painting World of Ashes".

Even the most perfect body will decay with time.

Even the blood of what is known as the blood of dark souls can attract malice.

That force, which was essentially of the same origin, attracted the deepest, more distant places that wandered beyond the world.

One day, the young lady vomited black blood, which seemed to be alive and spread out of the church.

The crows who served the young lady discovered this situation, and they used the cold wind and snow and their martial arts to defeat the first wave of malice that had infiltrated the world of painting.

The painter knew that this was no ordinary dark power. Though similar to a dark soul, if this malice were to overflow into the painting, the originally solidified dark soul would boil over.

Everything in this painting will be stained by the abyss.

And the painting that was originally integrated into the mountain peaks will naturally extend the abyss to the entire sacred mountain of Kalan, and even the whole territory of Shelag.

"Kill me, slit my throat with your sword..."

The young lady pleaded with the crows.

"In this way, the power of darkness can be slowed down, and the scroll can be preserved as long as possible. There will be no danger for at least a hundred years, which is enough time for you to leave."

No one wanted to kill the young lady with their own hands.

She is the one who created the world, and also the guide who saved their lost souls.

But the abyss was far too active, and the young lady's condition worsened day by day.

Finally, at the young lady's request, the crows bound her with chains and imprisoned her in the cold, dark depths at the bottom of the church.

The first flame has been extinguished; nothing can ignite the abyss and destroy it completely.

As the encroaching darkness gradually spread, the crows made a difficult decision.

Since the material of the painting itself is blood, then as long as there is fresh blood, it can suppress the painting that is being tainted by the darkness and is constantly decaying.

Just as they had done before, the nuns and priests of Ariandel continued the story with their own blood.

Today, the crow people also use their own blood to mend this ash-covered canvas.

They must not give up until the ashes return.

What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again.

Thus, people gathered within the sacred mountain depicted in the painting.

They shut down the scroll's communication with the outside world of Sherag to prevent the abyss from flowing out.

The power of the painting was then embedded in the sacred bell, in the hope that the hero with the flame would be guided here by the sacred bell.

They took up their blades and cut themselves, so that their blood would flow into the royal weapon.

Using royal weapons as paintbrushes and his own blood as paint, he repaired the scroll eroded by the abyss.

Before a person's blood runs dry, they will hand their knife to another person, and then walk down the mountain to the entrance of the holy mountain to worship.

It was a prayer that his blood could protect the young lady from more pain.

He also used his own physical body as a beacon to guide Ash into the world of painting.

The rate at which life is born is gradually falling behind the rate at which life is consumed.

Initially, one person's blood was enough for a month.

Eventually, one person's blood supply was only enough for one week.

Nowadays, a person's blood supply is only enough for one day.

The population, which was originally numbered in the thousands and tens of thousands, has gradually decreased.

One by one, wrists were slashed open, and blood slowly flowed out, turning into paint.

One knife after another was taken from another person's hand and then slashed across another's wrist.

In this battle to suppress the abyss, not a single sword was wielded to slay the children of the abyss.

But with their blood, as abundant as rivers and seas, they prevented the abyss from advancing any further over the centuries.

The people of Shelag never imagined that their protectors were never any god.

Great achievements not created by gods and heroes

People struggling to survive are maintaining this world of painting, which is about to be devoured, at the cost of their species.

We await the arrival of the hero.

Until the flames ignited.

Now, the last Arakkoa has cut his own wrist.

Just as he was about to bleed out his last drop of blood, he heard the sound of the door being pushed open.

He thought it was his successor, but he didn't expect it to be an outsider.

His cloudy eyes caught sight of that figure; by the scent of flames he could smell, he saw the hero's return.

And so, trembling, the last crow-man raised his withered body and, with his last ounce of strength, prostrated himself before the ashes.

"Ah... Lord Ash..."

"Please... light the fire..."

"Please... let the young lady see the flames..."

Blood flowed down the cracks in the floor, filling the dented spaces.

The black feathers swayed and fluttered in the cold wind.

The crawling man closed his eyes and exhaled his last breath.

The undead's stiff hand remained silent for a long time before suddenly clenching!

For the first time in a long time, the Undead felt trembling lips.

Without blood, the royal weapon could no longer suppress the raging darkness.

With a strong tremor, the altar near the wall receded, revealing a downward staircase.

Dark mud swelled up the steps, waving its greedy claws.

That is the swamp of humanity formed by malice from outside the world.

clatter...

The immortal took a step forward.

The moment his raised foot touched the black mud, a fierce flame ignited.

Wow!

The flames, as the darkness itself continued to spread, seemed to be burning him as fuel!

The flames opened their gaping maws, ready to burn and devour the dark, lurking creature that had been eyeing them!

The nameless hero gripped the greatsword on his back and slowly descended the stairs into the dark chamber.

As he approached, flames soared and ignited the darkness.

Just as he reached the last step, he also saw the Painter inside.

His hands and feet were bound by chains, and sharp iron hooks were dug into his flesh, hanging from his spine and shoulder blades.